Nintendo has sued Gary Bowser, an alleged leader of modchip group Team Xecuter. Bowser was arrested last year by the American judiciary. Nintendo demands that the group stop selling modchips and wants to see money.
Team Xecuter is infringing copyrights by selling modchips for the Switch, says Nintendo of America. The trade in the accessories to mod Switch consoles is illegal, according to the company. Game website Polygon noted the charge.
Nintendo describes Team Xecuter as an “international network of piracy” and states that Bowser is one of the leaders. He would be largely responsible for the team’s operations, including website maintenance, sales, distribution and marketing.
According to the indictment, Bowser has been trading accessories since 2013 to circumvent the security of Nintendo devices. At the time, it was about the Nintendo 3DS. The indictment, which can be read on Scribd, contains descriptions of various modchips and associated software from Team Xecuter.
Nintendo is demanding $2500 for every mod accessory sold by Team Xecuter. The Switch manufacturer also wants compensation of USD 150,000 per copyright infringement. With the lawsuit Nintendo also wants to stop the entire business of Team Xecuter.
In October, Bowser and another member of Team Xecuter were arrested by U.S. law enforcement. That happened on the basis of eleven suspicions. The individuals would, among other things, be part of a criminal organization, commit fraud, ‘conspire to circumvent technological measures’ and trade in circumvention devices.
In the past, Nintendo has mainly campaigned against resellers of modchips. At the end of 2020, an American online store that sold Team Xecuter hardware reached a settlement with Nintendo. The store paid $2 million to the Switch manufacturer.